


Looking Strange

by ami_ven



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Community: writerverse, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-08
Updated: 2016-02-08
Packaged: 2018-05-19 04:59:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5954503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ami_ven/pseuds/ami_ven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Something strange is happening at Torchwood Three.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Looking Strange

**Author's Note:**

> written for LJ community "writerverse" prompts "the Hub (Torchwood)" & "middle sibling" & “Sledgehammer” (by Peter Gabriel) & "bronze" & "Whimsyshire, Sanctuary (Diablo III)" (bonus: all five prompts)

“Well, this can’t be right,” murmured Tosh, frowning at her computer display. “No, this can’t be right at all.”

“Huh?” said Ianto, distracted. “Did you say something, Tosh?”

“Yes,” she replied. Once, she’d have been annoyed that no one paid attention when she announced things like that, but she’d since come to accept her role as Torchwood’s middle child— loved and wanted, certainly, but often overlooked. “Take a look at this.”

Ianto came to look over her shoulder. “I’ve never seen energy readings like this,” he said. “Is it dangerous?”

“I don’t know,” said Tosh. “The Rift usually fluctuates, you know, there’s always stray particles and things coming through. Most of it’s harmless, only ever a touch of radioactivity, or anything, but this…”

“What is it?” Ianto pressed.

She frowned again. “Let me see if I can clear up the—”

Tosh broke off as she made an adjustment and the whirring-twisting sound of usual Rift activity shifted to barely-audible words, “ _…could have a bumper car, bumping…_ ”

“Is that singing?” said Tosh, disbelieving.

“ _…want to be your sledgehammer, why don’t… my name, oh let me be… my testimony…_ ”

“Hey,” said Jack, coming out of his office. “I know it’s been quiet around here, but that doesn’t mean you can goof off.”

“What?” said Ianto and Tosh, together.

“I mean, it’s a good song,” Jack continued. “Peter Gabriel, nice man, great— well, your radio could use some work, Tosh.”

“It’s not a radio, Jack,” she said. “It’s the Rift.”

He frowned. “The Rift is playing “Sledgehammer”?”

“Apparently so,” Tosh replied.

“Huh.”

Suddenly, a swirling light appeared in the middle of the room, starting the size of a cricket ball and growing until it looked like a large, bronze platter. The center continued swirling for another moment, then smoothed into the image of a grassy field as viewed from above. It had an odd quality, but Tosh didn’t immediately recognize the trees and rocks as pixilated until a purple-maned unicorn wandered into view, and a rainbow arched across the left side of the image.

“When did you get the hologram viewer up and running?” asked Owen, as he came in. “And, Tosh, didn’t you specifically tell me you would _not_ allow me to play video games on it when you did get it working?”

“What?” chorused Ianto, Tosh and Jack.

Owen nodded at the swirling disk holding the image. “That, right there. _Diablo III_ , video game, action-and-adventure genre…” He frowned at their blank looks. “You must have beaten the game, or close to it, because that’s the secret level, Whimsyshire.”

There was a long moment of silence, then Jack said, “Tosh—”

“Shutting it down, right now,” she interrupted, already moving toward her computer console.

“Securing the Torchwood mainframe,” added Ianto, heading to the one across from her.

Jack drew his gun, carefully aiming at the disk until it began to shrink, and not reholstering it until it had vanished entirely.

There was another beat of silence, then the door to the Wharf-side entrance opened. “Hello, all,” said Gwen. “What did I miss?”

The others all looked sideways at each other. “Don’t ask,” said Tosh, and moved to take a slice of the pizza Gwen had brought.

THE END


End file.
